Appabatus



' V. HENRI, A. HELBRONNER 61 M. VON RECKLINGHAUSEN. APPARATUS FORSTERILIZING uoums BY MEANS OF ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. I914.

- 1,193,143.? PatentedAug. 1,1916.

1,193,143. I Original application filed June 7, 1910, Serial No.565,611.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR HENRI, OF PARIS, AND ANDRE HELBRONNEB AND MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN,

OF SURESNES, FRANCE, ASSIGNORS TO THE R. U. V. COMPANY, INC., A CORPORA-TION OF NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR STEBILIZING LIQUIDS BY MEANS OFULTRA-VIOLET RAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1,- 1916.

Divided and this application filed February 12,

, 1914. Serial No. 818,209.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, VICTOR HENRI, a

citizen of the French Republic, residing at June 7, 1910.

This invention relates to the sterilization I of li uids and moreparticularly to the sterilization of those liquids which are onlyslightly or not at all opaque to ultra-violet rays. Water for example issuch a liquid.

It has already been proposed to sterilize water by inserting in conduitsor channels through which the water flows mercury vapor lamps havingcontainers of quartz or silica. These lamps emit ultra-violet rays andas quartz or silica is transparent to these rays they are able to passfreely into the surrounding water. This method, however, does notutilize the rays to their fullest efficiency owing to the cooling of thelamp by the water which produces a harmful effect on the electricalcharacteristics of the lamp which will emit fewer rays when water cooledthan when operating normally in the atmosphere and only cooled by themovement of the surrounding air.

According to our invention, instead of immersing the lamp or source ofultra-violet rays in the liquid, we place it outside and cause theliquid to flow past the lamp in a zigzag or undulating fashion, thisbeing accomplished by causing the liquid to flow through a troughprovided with baflle plates or otherwise so arranged as to cause theliquid to flow in the desired manner.

In order to utilize the rays emitted to their fullest possible extent,the lamp or other source is provided with a reflector and the sides ofthe troughs and baflles are made of a reflecting material, such aspolished metal, so that the rays which pass through the liquid arecaused to re-traverse the same and are therefore utilized to theirfullest extent.

The liquid may be caused to pass and rethe liquid may be caused to movein a zigzag path in a horizontal plane, in which case the direction ofmovement is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the rays.

In another method of carrying out the invention, the liquid is caused totraverse a spiral path, the spiral being formed on the surface of a coneand the lamp located within the entrance of the cone. With thisarrangement the rays are utilized very efli ciently and with a smallapparatus.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown in a diagrammatic formvarious methods by which our invention may be carried out 1n practice.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly sectional, of one form of apparatus,Fig. 2 is a plan of another form of apparatus and Figs. 3 and 4 areelevations, partly sectional, illustrating other modified forms ofapparatus.

Referring toFig. 1, the source of ultraviolet rays is indicated as beinga mercury vapor lamp 1 having a quartz container and provided with areflector 2, the liquid to be sterilized is admitted through a pipe 3 toa trough 4 provided with a series of bafile plates 5- arranged withspaces at the top and bottom alternately so that the liquid is caused topass through the trough in the direction of the arrows to the outlet 6;in

order to utilize the effect of the rays to the fullest extent, the sidesof the trough and the baflle plates are made of reflecting material.

In Fig. 2 the trough takes the form of a zigzag tube arranged in ahorizontal plane provided with an inlet 7 at one end and an outlet 8 atthe other end, the flow of liquid taking place in the direction of thearrows.

In Fig. 3 the trough is of a spiral form and is arranged so that theliquid in its passage along the same is exposed at all parts to theinfluence of the ultra-violet rays.

Fig. 4 shows an apparatus in which the liquid is withdrawn from. theinfluence of the rays at certain parts of its passage. In thisarrangement which is substantially similar to that of F ig. 1, certainof the baffles are united at the t p by plates 9 which are impervious tothe ultra-violet rays, so that when the liquid is traversing a spacebelow said plat-es'it will .be'removed from the influence of the rays.

In all the arrangements the interior surfaces of the conduits and bafileplates should be made. of "reflecting material so that the effect of theultra-violet rays may be fully utilized by causing them to traverse backahd forth through the liquid.

jected to the influence of the rays for the same period of time, wherebythe whole of the liquid is equally sterilized.

We claim as our invention:

1. In apparatus for sterilizing liquids, the

' combination with a source of ultra-violet rays, of a channel orconduit through which the liquid may flow, said conduit being formed topresent a restricted tortuous path for the liquid closely passing andrepassing and directly exposed to the rays from said source, and meansfor agitating the liquid in its passage through the channel.

2. In apparatus for sterilizing liquids, the combination with a sourceof ultra-violet rays of a channel or conduit throiwh which the liquidmay flow, said conduit being located in close roximity to the source andexposed to the irect action of the rays from the same, bafile platesplaced ii the conduit to form a restricted tortuous path for the liquidclosely passing and repassing said source whereby the entire body ofliquid will be caused to flow repeatedly in a thin film through thefield of such rays.

3. In apparatus for sterilizing liquids, the combinat on with a singlesource of-ultraviolet rays, of a trough placed in the vicinity of thesame and exposed to the direct action of the rays fr m the source,bafile plates supported in the rough to form a series of compartments ad a tortuous path for the-entire body 0 liquid closely'passing andrepassing through the field of said rays, a plurality of saidcompartments being simultaneously illuminated by the rays;

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this tenthday of May 1913.

VICTOR HENRI. ANDRE HELBRONNER. MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSENQ Witnesses:

Hanson C. Coxn, JOHN BAKER.

